From Clicks To Connections: How Social Commerce Is Transforming Retail!

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“People don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons” – Zig Ziglar
This quote reflects how consumer behavior has shifted over the ages and how we seek experiences, connections, and the power to curate our unique identities in the form of products. For these reasons, in this brave new world, social commerce is the crucible of the new shift in shopping experiences. It transforms shopping into an interactive journey within a social media app. From discovering products to knowing brand stories, social commerce on different platforms redefines the entire retail experience. With unparalleled reach, trust-building customer relationships, and data-driven insights, this eCommerce phenomenon ensures higher conversions, deeper connections, and lucrative opportunities for merchants in the evolving retail landscape.

This rising wave of social commerce was predicted by CedCommerce long ago and thus, we partnered with key players like Buy with Prime, TikTok, Meta, etc to provide a smooth selling experience to merchants like you! In a recent article “How to Sell on Social” by Buy with Prime, our insights were also featured as we answered some of the questions. With 11 years of experience, we have gathered insights into the changing waves of commerce and how impactful social commerce can be.

Social commerce is a rapidly growing eCommerce model that ensures a frictionless buyer journey, from product discovery to checkout, within a single social media platform.

This blog post explores deeper insights into social commerce and why you should adapt to it. Here’s what you’ll get insights on:

1. Social Commerce VS eCommerce
2. Myths around social commerce
3. Major social media platforms to sell on
4. Journey of a product on social commerce platforms
5. How can CedCommerce help you sell on Social?
6. Social Connector for TikTok Shop and Meta

Social Commerce VS eCommerce

Traditional eCommerce is like a planned trip to the mall. You have a list, know what you want, and head straight to your favorite stores. Social commerce, on the other hand, is like stumbling upon an amazing pop-up shop while browsing the park. It’s unexpected, engaging, and can lead to some truly impulsive (but awesome!) purchases. Here’s a quick breakdown of the two:

Myths around Social Commerce

While social commerce isn’t a new concept, it has become a rapidly growing phenomenon for the eCommerce industry. To help you better understand this popularly growing concept, let’s debunk some myths attached to it:

Social commerce is Social media marketing

Marketing on social platforms uses various tactics like creating engaging content, running targeted ads, participating in conversations, and collaborating with influencers.

Social commerce takes it a step further by enabling customers to discover, browse, and purchase products directly within the social media platform. This eliminates the need for customers to visit a separate website or app to complete their purchase, creating a more smooth and convenient shopping experience.

Social commerce is a privilege of the bigger brands

Social commerce is accessible to businesses of all sizes, providing a level playing field to reach targeted audiences and build brand awareness. Many small businesses have found success using platforms like Instagram and TikTok to connect directly with customers and boost sales.

Social commerce is only about selling products

Social commerce goes beyond transactions, focusing on relationship-building, engagement, and community creation. Interaction via DMS, comments, and sharing valuable content to foster trust and loyalty will drive more sales.

Your brand needs a massive following to succeed

While a large follower base can be beneficial, it’s not the only factor determining success. Engaging with your audience, creating high-quality content, and running targeted ads can help you reach the right people, even with a smaller following.

It is just a fad – a fleeting trend

Social commerce isn’t a trend; it’s the future of shopping. With rising consumer preference for online shopping and the dynamic evolution of social media platforms, it’s set for sustained growth and innovation.

Social commerce is only about short-term gains

Social commerce, when done right, can build long-term relationships with your customers. Consistent engagement, personalized communication, and community building foster loyalty and encourage repeat purchases, leading to sustainable growth and success.

It can also result in a successful omnichannel strategy for your online store with a huge rate of customer retention.

Social selling powerhouses: Which platform should you sell on?

As per Search Engine Journal, these social media platforms are the center for social selling practices:

Finding the right social media platform to sell your products can be tough. However recent research reveals that TikTok Shop and Meta (Facebook & Instagram) are the current profitability champions.

• TikTok’s young, engaged audience loves discovering new products. 72% of Gen Z consumers find them there!
• Meta’s massive reach and established shopping features make it a sales powerhouse. 3 billion Facebook users and 2 billion on Instagram? You can’t ignore that!
• While other platforms offer social selling opportunities, TikTok Shop and Meta offer the ideal combination of audience size, engagement, and profitability.

Journey of a product on Social commerce Platforms

Social commerce sales are expected to explode, reaching over 2000 billion US dollars by 2025. Early adoption is crucial for sellers to enter this pool of opportunity. Here’s a representation of the journey of a product across social media platforms.

Excel In Social Selling With CedCommerce

Now that you’ve got an idea about the booming potential of social commerce and the necessity for merchants to adapt to it. Here’s how you can become a selling success across multiple social platforms with CedCommerce:

• Integrate your online store to the social media app using the social connector app for TikTok Shop & Meta
• Benefit from the deep integration of your store to avail features like live stream shopping, monitoring ad metrics, etc
• Get end-to-end ad consultancy services for better product discovery
• Get business strategy guidance from our channel experts

How To Manage Multiple Social Channels Smoothly?

Social Connector by CedCommerce is your go-to integration solution for managing multiple social channels effortlessly from a common dashboard. Experience robust features such as near real-time inventory and price syncing, easy Facebook ads management, and product feed management all within a single app.

Ready to drive more sales by selling across social channels? Connect with our experts today. For more insights on social commerce and how to integrate your online store with social platforms, check out this blog by CedCommerce.